specific needs of children and elderly left behind as a ... - IOM Moldova

Psychological and social effects of migration
Children left behind are more frequently exposed to risks. The participants
to focus-groups discussions brought the following arguments that increase
the vulnerability of children: ,,they have more liberty than they need”; ,,they
have time for other things, too”; “they have no protection and no support”.
Sometimes children see themselves as incapable of rationally spending
the money. They mentioned that they sometimes buy things they don’t
need and some even considered useless: ,,Not big things, small ones. Some
of them are bought without any use. I am not talking only about myself, my
brother does the same even if it is just about pants or a tie. For example,
shoes. He has a lot of new pairs that he never wore. Now he does not use
them but later he might. He also buys clothing that he simply doesn’t need”
(FG_C_2_rural).
Children whose parents are abroad are perceived by their peers as different
from children who have both parents in Moldova. In this regard, the
respondents named:
Ways they show their emotions: ,,I think a lot. Because I noticed that he
shows his feelings using words that really hurt and he tells everybody that he’d
like very much that his parents would be near and his classmates are making
fun of him saying that “You don’t have parents” or even “Your parents are
not together”;
• A better financial situation: “They are different from children who have
both of their parents at home because they have more money, they dress
differently. Even when they are at school or go to a store they can afford
buying everything they want while the ones with parents at home cannot.
They are not given as much money as they want, only 5, 10 lei per day,
whereas these ones get more… and they come to school and spend all they
have on food”;
• Aggressive behaviour and false necessities: ,,Children with parents at
home are good children, obedient, while those without parents behave badly.
They smoke” (FG_C_3_rural).
• The experts pointed out that children do not want to get involved in daily
activities, their consumption orientation: ,,Their behaviour is poor…
These are children who wait for the things to be done for them and they
don’t know what “work” or “I did it myself” means, they always wait for
their parents to give them everything and it is obvious that psychologically
speaking they are more tough” (FG_EC_rural); financial dependence on
their parents: “I don’t even want to imagine what will happen in a couple
of years when parents who are abroad will not be able to send money anymore,
what will actually happen to that child, what kind of attitude and
behaviour he/she will have for his/her parent who will already be an old
man...” (FG_EC_rural).
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